1Kgs 18:41-46; Matthew 5

Thursday in the 10^th Week of Ordinary Time, Year II
Readings on p. 931 of the Daily Missal.

Entrance Antiphon.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; whom shall I dread? When those who do evil draw near, they stumble and fall.

 

First Reading: 1 Kings 18:41-46

A reading from the First Book of Kings.

In those days:
Elijah said to Ahab,
“Go up, eat and drink;
for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.”

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink.
And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel,
and he bowed himself down upon the earth
and put his face between his knees.
And he said to his servant,
“Go up now, look toward the sea.”

And he went up and looked, and said,
“There is nothing.”

And he said, “Go again seven times.”

And at the seventh time he said, “Behold,
a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising out of the sea.”

And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab,
‘Prepare your chariot and go down,
lest the rain stop you.’”

And in a little while,
the heavens grew black with clouds and wind,
and there was a great rain.
And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.
And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah,
and he girded up his loins
and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

The Word of the Lord.

 

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 65:10abcd.10e-11.12-13 (R. 2ab)

Let us now pray the Responsorial Psalm:

R/. Praise is due to you in Sion, O God.

You visit the earth, give it water;
you fill it with riches.
God’s ever-flowing river brims over
to prepare the grain.

And thus you provide for the earth:
you drench its furrows;
you level it, soften it with showers;
you bless its growth.

You crown the year with your bounty.
Abundance flows in your pathways;
in pastures of the desert it flows.
The hills are girded with joy.

R/. Praise is due to you in Sion, O God.

Please stand for the Gospel.

Alleluia, Alleluia.
A new commandment I give to you,
says the Lord, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.
Alleluia.

 

 

Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

At that time:
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Unless your righteousness
exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

You have heard that it was said to the people of old,
‘You shall not kill;
and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother or sister shall be liable to judgment;
whoever insults his brother or sister shall be liable to the council,
and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.
So if you are offering your gift at the altar,
and there remember
that your brother or sister has something against you,
leave your gift there before the altar and go;
first be reconciled to your brother or sister,
and then come and offer your gift.
Make friends quickly with your accuser,
while you are going with him to court,
lest your accuser hand you over to the judge,
and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison;
truly, I say to you,
you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Communion Antiphon.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my saving strength.